Chain drive for motor vehicles



July 2 1931.

1.. c. JOSEPHS, JRQ, ET'AL CHAIN DRIVE FOR MOTOR VEHICLES Filed March 10, 1930 L gmazz 6: 170850118, 1k,

' inomvzm Patented July z l, 1931 -design, particularly in commercial vehicle UNITED ST TES PATENT OFFICE 1 LmN G. JOSEPHS, JR, AND ERVING It. GURNEY, 0F ALLENTOWN, PENNSYLVANIA, ASSIGNORS TO INTERNATIONAL MOTORCOMIEANY, OF NEW YORK, N. Y.,- A 003-.

POBATION OI DELAWARE onzam' nazvn'ron moron vnn'ro'nns Application med Mai-ch10, 1930. Serial No. 434,609.

The present invention relates to chain driven motor vehicles and embodies, more specifically, an improved drive for chain driven vehicles adapted to be used where dual tires are provided at either end of a driving axle.

More particularly, the inventionis concerned withv an improved wheel mounting and drive therefor in which the overall width of the vehicle need not be increased beyond the legal limit, at the same time providing a construction in which tiresof considerable size can be used, thus improving the stability and operation of vehicles in which the present invention has been embodied.

A common difiiculty experienced 1n vehicle design, is that of maintainin the overall width within the prescribed limits of law. In the case of chain driven vehicles, where the driving chains upon either side of the frame re uire a definite space, the tires have necessari y been mounted outside of the chains. This materially limits the distance between spring centers and causesa very unstable condition of the load, resulting in great danger of overturning particularly where the vehicle is operated at high speeds.

In order that the advantages of a chain drive may be obtained without sacrificing the advantages of dual tires, and at the same time maintaining the overall width of the vehicle within the limits prescribed by law, the present invention has been designed and by means of the construction thereof, dual tires are effectively used without incurring the disadvantageous features heretofore existing in vehicles of this character.

An object of the invention, accordingly, is to provide a drive for motor vehicles by means of which a relatively great distance between spring centers may be maintained, at the same time, using dual tires upon either side of the axle.

A further object of the invention is to rovide a chain drive for motor vehicles in W ich dual tires are employed, a relatively great distance between spring centers being preserved.

A further object of the invention is to procated in dot and dash lines.

' which carr vide a drive of the above character in which the parts are simple of construction and of great strength, the construction being such that the tires and wheels may be readily re moved and re laced.

-Further ob1ects of the invention, not specifically enumerated above, will be apparent as it is described in greater detail ,in connection with the accompanying drawing, wherein the single figure is a plan View, partly broken away and in section, showing a drive constructed in accordance with the present invention. A

Referring to the above drawing, the vehicle side frame members are shown at a carrying7 a differential b and jack shaft hous- 1n 0. prockets d are provided upon either si e of the frame for driving chains d, indi- These chains engage driven sprockets e, mounted upon brake drums e which are preferably secured to the outer wheels 6 The outer wheels carry tires e and are secured to a tubular shaft 7 which is journaled in a bearing g, carried by a split bearing box 9'. The inner ends of the shafts 7, upon opposite sides of the frame, have splined thereto inner wheels 71, tires it. If desired, guides e and h are ormed on the wheels to facilitate mounting the tires thereon, this being particularl desirable where tires of large size are use The split bearing boxes are secured to springs a which are secured to the side frame members a in the usual manner, the fore oing construction thus placing the springs tween the pairs of wheels at either side of the frame. In this manner, the bearin g carries the load and lubrication thereo is preferabl effected by means of ports f 1n the tu e 7 through which lubricant may flow from the interior ofthe tube to the I bearings. 51.

Within the tubular shafts f, a shaft m is mounted, the central section thereof being formed with flanges m which are secured to flanges m formed upon theouter sections. The outer sections are preferably hollow as indicated at m in order to receive a lubricant and apertures m permit the flow there- Hill of to the apertures f and bearings g. A cap m is threaded over the end of each tube to prevent the escape of lubricant, and

ushings m are provided as bearings for the stabilizing tube m.

It will thus be seen that the inner tires may be removed by removing the central section of the shaft m, this shaft serving as a stabilizer to keep the wheel sets from capsizing when rounding corners. Under normal forward motion there is no load on the bearings m of the shaft m and the shaft therefore merely rotates with the wheels.

From the foregoing description, it will thus be seen that the drive is taken from the driving sprockets (Z and chains (1 to the driven sprockets e. From these sprockets the driving force is transmitted through the brake drums e and outer wheels e to the hollow shafts f and inner wheels h.' The inner and outer wheels of each set are thus driven simultaneously and a relatively great distance between the spring centers is pres,

served to provide a more stable unit.

While the invention has been described with specific reference to the accompanying drawing, it is not to be limited, save as defined in the appendedclaim.

We claim as our invention:

A device of the character described comprising a vehicle frame having springs at either side thereof, a plurality of wheels, a journal box carried by each of the springs, a. tubular shaft section journaled in each journal box, means for mounting a plurality of wheels on each shaft section, a driving sprocket on each shaft section, a. stabilizing shaft journaled in the shaft sections and formed with an intermediate section mounted thereon to be removed from the cooperating sections without dismounting the last named sections, and means for driving the wheels through the s rockets.

This speci cation signed this 3rd day of March, A. D. 1930.

.LYMAN C. JOSEPHS, JR. ERVING R. GURNEY. 

